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Small Wonder: The Alchemy Museum

On Tuesday, our class walked around Prague with an alchemist tour guide. He explained symbols within the architecture of the city related to science, religion, and philosophy. I would have never figured out the meaning behind the small detailed symbols placed on buildings without the tour.

Afterwards, we traveled to a small alchemy museum, called Museum of Alchemists and Magicians of Old Prague. The museum was tucked away within the busy tourists shops on the streets leading up to the Prague castle. The museum site was hundreds of years old and it was placed in the location of where Edward Kelley, a famous Prague alchemist, once lived. The museum was based in his attic, which made the atmosphere even more mysterious.

Before we traveled up to the museum, we ate at the alchemy café next door. Here I discovered the very fascinating bar with two women making concoctions and potions for their guests. The bar was decorated like a chemical laboratory, in honor of Edward Kelley’s love for science.

After lunch, we traveled up ancient spiraled steps to get to the attic. Once at the top, it was as though we stepped back in time to sneak up on Edward Kelley working away with his experiments. The museum was dark and ghostly, but overall it was fascinating to view a replica of the science and magic that was performed in the past. Unfortunately, this small wonder won’t be staying here much longer. A condominium company bought the museum complex and the magical alchemy attic will no longer be preserved.